TV & Film News – Crave and New Metric Media announce new multi-year creative partnership

Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the winners of its film competition awards. The top prize, the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature, was awarded to Atikamekw Suns, directed by Chloé Leriche. Named for legendary Canadian filmmaker Philip Borsos, the $35,000 cash and in-kind prize is the second-largest festival honour in Canada. 

Crave and New Metric Media have announced a new multi-year creative partnership that expands the world of Letterkenny. The deal encompasses 49 new episodes for Crave, including spin-offs and the development of all-new series with creator and star Jared Keeso. In addition to the content commitment, the companies will continue to collaborate on existing and ancillary brand extensions, including merchandise and live productions. As Crave’s first-ever original series, Letterkenny premiered in 2016 as a breakout hit. It’s since delivered 81 episodes and eight specials, amassed 12 Canadian Screen Awards, and an exclusive first window U.S. streaming partnership with Hulu for both Letterkenny and its spinoff Shoresy, which was recently renewed for a third season. 

WildBrain says production is underway on a three-hour documentary series about renowned Canadian television series, Degrassi. The untitled series is being produced in partnership with Peacock Alley. Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, it will dive into Degrassi lore and the teenage experience with its creators, cast, crew and fans, as well as generations of filmmakers influenced by the franchise’s 40-year legacy. Commissioned by WildBrain Television, the docuseries is directed by Lisa Rideout (Sex with Sue; This is Pop) and is executive produced by Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Angela Boudreault for WildBrain, and by Carrie Mudd (Leonard Cohen: Tower of Song; Travelers) for Peacock Alley. 

Just For Laughs has announced that season two of immersive VR stand-up comedy series, Surrounded will return for six new episodes starting Dec. 29, with a Holiday Special, exclusively on Meta Horizon Worlds. Filmed at the 2023 Just For Laughs Montreal comedy festival, using their Meta Quest VR headset, viewers are transported into Meta’s Comedy Night Market, where they can watch comedians performing improvised sets in the round, using the audience as inspiration. Hosted by Lil Rel Howery, this season features Marlon Wayans, Jack Whitehall, Mae Martin, Fortune Feimster, Mark Normand, Chris Redd, Dan Soder, Jay Pharoah, Meg Stalter, Felipe Esparza, Rosebud Baker, Sam Morril, Joel Kim Booster, Hannah Berner, Nate Jackson, Brad Williams, Preacher Lawson, Sasheer Zamata, Brian Simpson, Steph Tolev, Annie Lederman, and Che Durena.

CBC has announced streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its winter 2024 slate of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 20 original series from Canadian producers and storytellers. New series premieres include workplace comedy One More Time (Jan. 9) starring stand-up comedian D.J. Demers; crime-solving drama Wild Cards (Jan. 10) following the unlikely duo of Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti, Grey’s Anatomy), a gruff, sardonic cop, and con woman Max (Vanessa Morgan, Riverdale), with Jason Priestley in a recurring guest spot. Factual entertainment series Ghosting with Luke Hutchie and Matthew Finlan (Jan. 26) follows two actors known for their work in the horror genre on their quest to decipher if Canada’s most ghostly places are truly haunted, while doc series For The Culture with Amanda Parris (Jan. 30) sees the host and executive producer engage in provocative conversations centred on Blackness. Previously announced drama Allegiance premieres Feb. 7, followed by The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down on Feb. 8.

Hollywood Suite is presenting a trio of Canadian broadcast premieres, including coming-of-age story Adult Adoption, Indigenous sci-fi The Beehive, and road-trip drama A Girl, a Boy, a Penny and a Very, Very, Very Long Road. Adult Adoption marks the feature film directorial debut for Toronto’s Karen Knox, starring Canadian stage actor Ellie Moon, premiering Jan. 9. Directed by Julia Beney, A Girl, A Boy, A Penny and a Very, Very, Very Long Road will make its broadcast premiere Jan. 16, while The Beehive is written and directed by Métis creative Alexander Lasheras, set to premiere Jan. 23.

Bell Media says its roster of entertainment specialty channels, including Discovery, CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, and CTV Sci-Fi Channel, increased its share of the Canadian English entertainment specialty market this year among A25-54 to its highest share on record, increasing 6% over 2022. According to Numeris data provided by the network, CTV Comedy, CTV Drama, CTV Life, and CTV Sci-Fi all ranked in the Top 10 for the first time with total viewers, and in the A25-54 demo. CTV Comedy and CTV Drama are the two most-watched Canadian English entertainment specialty channels, with Bell Media also claiming three channels in the Top 5, and five of the Top 10, among A25-54 (Discovery at #3, CTV Sci-Fi at #7, and CTV Life at #10). Maintaining its #1 status for the second year in a row, Discovery is the most-watched Canadian English entertainment specialty channel among total viewers, according to the data provided. 

Blue Ant Media announced at Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) a raft of multi-title, multi-genre sales to Asia-Pacific broadcasters, totalling more than 550 hours of programming. The deals include sales in Asia to Warner Bros. Discovery, Korean Broadcasting System, Mediacorp, PCCW Media and TrueVisions. Additionally, sales in Australia and New Zealand were brokered to SBS Australia, Foxtel Group, Nine Network Australia, Television New Zealand and Maori Television. The announcement coincides with the establishment of Blue Ant’s new Asia Pacific office in Sydney, Australia.